Chevrolet Cavalier Exterior Lighting Problems
Owners have filed 169 complaints with NHTSA about exterior lighting problems on the Chevrolet Cavalier across 11 model years. The 2003 model year has the most (57). The words owners use most often: “turn signal” (21% of reports).
- 169exterior lighting complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 6mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 27%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Turn signal: mentioned in 35 of 169 complaints (21%)
- Rear brake: mentioned in 9 of 169 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do exterior lighting problems happen?
Based on 83 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 169 complaints, 6 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 2 an injury.
Chevrolet Cavalier exterior lighting complaints by model year
| Model year | Exterior Lighting complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Cavalier | 5 | 2% | 85,019 |
| 2004 Cavalier | 8 | 2% | 89,500 |
| 2003 Cavalier | 57 | 8% | 13,192 |
| 2002 Cavalier | 14 | 7% | 69,058 |
| 2001 Cavalier | 7 | 3% | 62,650 |
| 2000 Cavalier | 13 | 4% | 55,850 |
| 1999 Cavalier | 11 | 5% | 59,500 |
| 1998 Cavalier | 17 | 5% | 119,750 |
| 1997 Cavalier | 13 | 2% | 119 |
| 1996 Cavalier | 17 | 3% | 101,500 |
| 1995 Cavalier | 7 | 3% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Exterior lighting:turn signal
Model years: 2003
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the rear lamps that provide stop and turn signals and tail lamp functions stop working because of inadequate contact between the bulb and socket. In addition, if one bulbs were to become inoperative while the vehicle was operating in cruise control, the cruise control would disengage when the remaining bulb was activated. If both lamps were to become inoperative, the cruise control would not engage.
Risk: An inoperative brake lamp will not convey the driver's intention of stopping to drivers in following vehicles, and an inoperative rear turn signal lamp will not convey the driver's intention to turn to drivers in following vehicles. Both of these failures can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rear lamp bulb socket assemblies and apply grease or replace them if necessary. The recall began on january 18, 2005. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668.
Exterior lighting:hazard flashing warning lights
Model years: 1995, 1996
Problem: The front and/or rear hazard warning lamps (four-way flashers) do not flash when the hazard switch is activated. This fails to comply with fmvss no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
Risk: If these lamps were not flashing, other vehicles would not be aware that this vehicle was stopped increasing the risk of an accident.
Fix: Dealers or vehicle owners will inspect for proper function of the hazard warning lamps. If necessary, dealers will replace the hazard lamp switch.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the interior passenger side directional signal began blinking rapidly while activated. Additionally, the contact stated that an onlooker observed that the exterior driver side indicator light was…
Just purchased a 2002 chevy cavalier for our daughter and have been trying to find out if any of the 5 recalls were performed on this vehicle or not. The nhtsa recall page isn't working at this time and the chevy local dealership isn't willing to help. Can someone please provide some assistance??
Problem with electrical system that operates rear blinkers and brake lights. I have changed bulb which are not the problem. I have changed the electrical connectors. Works fine for short period of time when either of these are changed but still not fixed. Started with passenger side but now having…
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet cavalier. While stopped at a red light, the contact was informed that the rear brake lamps failed to illuminate. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 chevrolet cavalier. While driving 5 mph entering the highway, the turn signal lamps failed to illuminate when activated and resulted in a crash. The contact's vehicle was struck on the rear driver side and spun onto the roadside. The air bags did not deploy and a police…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Chevrolet Cavaliers have exterior lighting problems?
No. NHTSA has 169 owner complaints about exterior lighting for the Chevrolet Cavalier. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Chevrolet Cavalier exterior lighting?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list exterior lighting. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about exterior lighting problems on the Chevrolet Cavalier?
The most frequent phrase is “turn signal”, in 35 of 169 complaints, followed by “rear brake” (9).
Other Chevrolet Cavalier problems
- Electrical System problems (1,041)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (573)
- Fuel System, Gasoline problems (479)
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems (387)
- Steering problems (349)
- Air Bags problems (321)
- Power Train problems (261)
- Visibility problems (240)
See all Chevrolet Cavalier problems.